Cherry Blossoms
by hostilecrayon
Summary: Gray watches Natsu for a different reason than the rest of the guild. Gray/Natsu, fluff


Off the cuff, written in chat Fairy Tail fanfiction for **missmelon12**, prompt of 'dare'. Thus, possible typos and weirdness. This is old - just archiving here.

Gray/Natsu, PG, fluffy

**Cherry Blossoms**

Gray is watching Natsu from across the room. This isn't really unusual - most people in the guild tend to eye the fire mage with caution whenever he's around, just in case they need to duck, or he might do something entertaining, which is worth watching for as well. So Gray can look upon Natsu unabashedly in front of all of these people without a second thought.

Natsu is being his usual self - causing a ruckus, laughing and amusing or irritating anyone he happens to come across. Happy is with him, as always, hovering above his shoulder. Gray is drinking - a somewhat unusual thing for him, but not unheard of - and up until now, he's just been enjoying the view.

Unlike the other members in the guild, Gray does not watch Natsu in hopes to see a spectacle, or even out of fear of being an innocent bystander in one of Natsu's escapades. He watches the Dragon Slayer for entirely different reasons. Natsu's vest flaps open, and Gray takes in washboard abs - a body fitting of a practiced mage who has engaged in many battles. When Natsu moves just so, Gray can spot a tuft of pink hair poking out of his pants; a trail that leads down to what Gray believes must be quite the prize.

That isn't the only thing he watches Natsu for, though it is quite nice to think about. He finds himself watching Natsu's face more than anything. The fire mage has an almost perpetual smile on his face, the idiot grin, that hides much of his depth that Gray knows all too well .

Gray takes another sip of his beer. It's bitter, and he rolls it in his mouth some before swallowing it. He is not drunk, or even all the buzzed, but he does feel just a little bit more daring than usual. Natsu is leaving, maybe to head to Lucy's, Gray doesn't know, but knocking back the rest of the contents of his glass, he gets up to follow at a discreet distance.

It is mid-spring, and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Gray thinks it's kind of romantic before he snorts at his sappy thoughts. Natsu is just up ahead, and Happy had stayed behind, probably to fail at flirting with Charle, so Natsu is blissfully alone and oblivious to Gray's musings.

Natsu passes right by the turn to Lucy's, and Gray is glad - it would have been pretty pointless to follow him there. Instead, he heads to a fork in the river just on the outskirts of Magnolia, where the boy sits by the banks, staring across the water. It's a peaceful scene, and Gray finds himself loathe to interrupt.

Gray and Natsu have never been the most peaceful of people when they find themselves together. They are all passionate rivaly, fists and fire and ice all coming together in a spectacular display that really is just a part of their friendship. They have had their times when they must be serious, and they have saved each other from the brink of death countless times. But talking seriously, alone, is a rarity at best. There is just so much emotion there; emotion that Gray has started to realize goes far beyond the simple ties of friendship. He wonders if Natsu has noticed it, too, or if he is still blissfully unaware of what is happening between them.

He finds himself stepping out from his hiding spot without meaning to. Natsu is still staring without really seeing, a peaceful expression on his face. Gray is able to get right next to Natsu before he is finally acknowledged with a glance and the slightest of nods.

Gray looks out over the water, taking in the cherry blossoms floating across the surface. "It really is pretty, isn't it?" He muses, and Natsu looks at him, a little bit of disbelief plain on his face at this unexpected conversation starter.

"It is," Natsu replies, but he is not looking at the water.

Natsu is looking up at Gray, and suddenly he feels awkward and exposed, even though he is actually wearing all of his clothes for once. He pulls his coat a little tighter around himself and sits, not taking his eyes from the pink petals dancing with each other on the blue water, like little ice skaters in some strange courting ritual.

"Pink," he says without thinking, "like your hair."

"What?" Natsu replies, unsure of whether to be insulted or what. He shifts next to Gray, just in case he'll have to defend.

"Did you know," Gray says instead of answering, "that the Cherry Blossom has multiple symbolic meanings attached to it?"

"What?" Natsu repeats, adorably confused.

"They can symbolize mortality, or clouds. They sometimes mean sacrifice. Most notably, they mean beauty" Gray pauses, swallowing hard. His mouth is still bitter from drink. "Or romance."

"Um," Natsu tries, but it doesn't seem to be what he wants, so he opts for, "What does that have to do with my hair?"

Gray sighs, casting a sidelong glance at the Dragon Slayer. "Pink is... fitting for you. Like the Cherry Blossom, you are complex; layered."

Natsu stares openly at Gray. "I guess? Are you trying to say something or what? I'm completely lost, here."

Gray rolls his eyes and just reaches for Natsu, pulling him close and kissing him hard on the lips. Natsu's eyes are wide, but he does not pull away. "Is that clear enough for you?"

Natsu raises a hand to his lips, his shock plain on his face. Then he smiles, and says, "Yeah."

Gray returns an easy grin and the two sit and watch the cherry blossoms for the rest of the day, their fingers gently entwined.


End file.
